


Down the River

by TaureanScribbles



Category: Original Work, The Crane Wives - Fandom
Genre: I like to keep things non-explicit but I'll still tag the stuff, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Murder, Other, Suicide, and I'm sitting there going "good for them", murder?, no beta we die like men, the crane wives' music just makes you thin of vengeful women getting revenge on abusive exes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:16:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27385564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaureanScribbles/pseuds/TaureanScribbles
Summary: I've been hearing that you're leaving townThe dust never settles when you're aroundToo many people withYour name on top of their listsNow, tell me, when you start againWhere will you house your skeletons?
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	Down the River

**Author's Note:**

> For the Crane Wives Nanowrimo. Find the prompt list on tumblr @see-it-all-so-clear.
> 
> I'm not confident or devoted enough to do the whole month, but I might cherry pick some prompts and actually publish something for a change. Day 4 - Down the River.

"What are you doing?"

  
She frowns, but doesn't move from her spot on the river bed. Just the devil playing his little games again. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

  
"Something stupid."

  
"That's a given."

  
She's always been the type to turn a deaf ear to her problems, waiting for them to grow weary and disappear. It hardly ever works, especially if the problem is of flesh and blood, and oh-so relentless. It feels like an intrusion, even now. She can feel his eyes on the back of her head, burning.

  
"I thought you were leaving."

  
"Tomorrow." He's quiet for a bit, and the silence is just as unbearable. "I'm in no rush, really. And besides, what kind of person would I be if I left without saying goodbye?"

  
The sun is high; how many has he already been to before reaching her? The water laps at her feet. If she'd gone a bit further, she might not have heard him over the burble. "You shouldn't have," she mutters.

  
She makes the mistake then of letting her guard down, allowing thoughts and memories to paint themselves onto the blank canvas of her mind. It's like shrapnel in her stomach. 

  
"So?" the devil speaks.

  
"So what?"

"Don't I at least get a kiss?"

  
That's the final stroke that causes her to stand up all too quickly, turning to face him, it makes her head spin, and she digs her nails into the palms of her hands hard enough to hurt. He's smug as always, with that gotcha sort of smile, as though there was anything to catch. She was a fool for having ever taken the bait, for waiting for him to prove her wrong, all too many times.

  
"Is that why you're here?"

  
A short laugh, like a rooster's crow, one she'd love to strangle. "Listen," he says, with arms open. "I've been thinking."

  
_Unlikely._

  
"This will be a fresh start for me. A whole new world of opportunities."

  
She rolls her eyes. "Lucky you." _What about the rest of us?_ She wants to add.

He ignores that little gesture. "And I was thinking, why don't you join me?"

  
Of course, he'd take his skeletons with him. Her face must speak for itself, because he continues before she can respond. "We've had some fun times, haven't we? It'd be a shame to let it end."

  
It's one of those situations where one wants to cry so badly, all they can do is stifle a laugh. It was true then, her huunch. This would never end. 

  
His smile is venomous, without a hint of shame. Such a life he leads - no shame, no remorse, no suffering. "Well then? Shall we take this leap together?" She can hear the words he's etched between the lines: _what alternative have you got?_

  
It's true, she's spent a good amount of time considering her options, and in the end, was able to reach a single conclusion, one that's more appealing than the net she's got herself tangled in. She'd made up her mind a while ago, and again this morning, but she could always expand on that plan. And here was an opportunity presenting itself to her. 

  
So she takes a breath and forces a smile. "Come here," she says.

  
He struts over, fixing his hair and looking all too pleased with himself. She lets him pull her close, wraps her own arms around his neck, tightly.

  
"All right," she coos. "Let's take this leap. Together."

  
With that, she kicks the ground from under their feet, and the wet stones take care of the rest. He's caught off guard; his panic-strewn face makes for a nice sight as the river swallows them both.


End file.
